CVE-2023-47652 in Auto Affiliate Links Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/13/2023
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Lucian Apostol Auto Affiliate Links allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Auto Affiliate Links: from n/a through 6.4.2.4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/20/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the Lucian Apostol Auto Affiliate Links plugin for WordPress, where a cross-site request forgery vulnerability has been identified that enables stored cross-site scripting attacks. The flaw exists within the plugin's handling of user input and request processing mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject persistent malicious scripts into the affected system. The vulnerability affects all versions from the initial release through version 6.4.2.4, indicating a widespread impact across the plugin's lifecycle. The CSRF vulnerability allows attackers to trick authenticated users into executing unintended actions on the web application, while the stored XSS component enables the persistence of malicious code that can affect multiple users. This combination creates a particularly dangerous attack vector where an attacker can establish a foothold that remains active even after the initial attack window has passed.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation and sanitization of user-supplied data within the plugin's administrative interfaces. When administrators or users interact with the plugin's functionality, insufficient CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms fail to properly verify the authenticity of requests, allowing malicious actors to craft requests that appear legitimate to the web application. The stored XSS component manifests when user input containing malicious scripts is processed and stored within the application's database or configuration files, then subsequently executed whenever the affected pages are rendered. This pattern violates fundamental security principles outlined in CWE-352 for CSRF vulnerabilities and CWE-79 for cross-site scripting, creating a compound weakness that significantly amplifies the attack surface. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable complete session hijacking, privilege escalation, and potential lateral movement within the compromised WordPress environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability creates substantial risk for WordPress sites utilizing the affected plugin, as it provides attackers with persistent access to the system through the stored XSS component. Once exploited, the malicious scripts can capture user credentials, modify content, redirect users to malicious sites, or establish backdoor access points within the WordPress installation. The CSRF aspect means that even if users are logged in with elevated privileges, they can be tricked into performing actions without their knowledge or consent, potentially leading to unauthorized configuration changes or data manipulation. Organizations using this plugin face significant exposure to data breaches, website defacement, and potential compromise of their entire WordPress infrastructure. The vulnerability's persistence through the stored XSS component means that the attack remains effective even after the initial exploitation attempt, creating a long-term security risk that can affect all users of the affected website. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through malicious web content and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter execution.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action including updating to the latest version of the Auto Affiliate Links plugin where the issue has been resolved, implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms, and conducting thorough security audits of all plugins and themes. Administrators should also deploy web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests, implement content security policies to prevent script execution, and establish regular security monitoring procedures to identify potential exploitation attempts. The recommended approach involves applying the vendor-provided security patch as soon as it becomes available, while also implementing additional defensive measures such as input validation, output encoding, and regular security scanning of the WordPress installation. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and monitoring for unauthorized administrative activities. The vulnerability's classification under both CSRF and XSS categories necessitates a comprehensive security approach that addresses both authentication validation and input sanitization, with particular attention to how user-supplied data is processed and stored within the application's backend systems.